Violence at elections reached a peak in Baltimore in the 1850’s. The city had a long history of election riots, but the rise of the Know-Nothing Party after 1854 sharply increased their severity. Innnumerable street gangs—Plug-Uglies, Rough Skins, Rip-Raps, Blood Tubs, etc.—were used by the Know-Nothing Party to terrorize immigrants. The gangs developed several methods of eliminating opponents. The Blood Tubs, for example, got their name from their technique of intimidation: they took tubs of blood from local butchers, heaved Irishmen into them, then chased them down the street with knives. The sight of one blood-drenched victim was a powerful deterrent to other would-be voters. Another gang’s strategy was to strap pointed shoemaker’s awls to their knees; with these they would gouge persistent immigrant voters. Whenever Democratic clubs or immigrant groups retaliated, city-wide riots would begin.
From 1854 on, this was the pattern for elections in Baltimore. By these means, the Know-Nothings won local, state, and in 1856, Presidential contests. In many districts immigrants were stopped from voting entirely. In 1856 there were three riots—in September, October, and November—in which over a dozen were killed and hundreds injured. In 1857 and 1858 both the riots and the Know-Nothing victories were repeated. In 1859 a group of “respectable citizens regardless of party” organized a City Reform Association and promised to protect the polls. Undaunted, the political clubs held a monster rally, parading with huge awls and carrying banners depicting bleeding heads labeled “reformer.” A blacksmith set up shop in the street and passed out hundreds of new-forged awls. Again the elections were marked by riots. But this time the state legislature intervened, invalidated the Know-Nothing victories, organized a new police force, and passed many reform bills. The gangs were disbanded, and the election of 1860 was peaceful.
The following description of one riot in 1856 in which five were killed, and forty-five wounded, is taken from the Baltimore American, October 9, 1856. See Benjamin Tusca: Know-Nothingism in Baltimore, 1854–1860 (1925); and Laurence F. Schmeckebier: History of the Know Nothing Party in Maryland (1899).
The order which generally characterized the polls in the earlier hours of yesterday was not maintained throughout the day. Individual combats and minor affrays occurred during the afternoon at a number of the polls; and at two, the Twelfth and Eighteenth, serious riots, leading to loss of life and serious injuries, resulted from the high state of excitement originated between the aforesaid contesting parties.
The most serious riot was started in and around the Lexington market-house. It commenced about three o’clock and continued for about two hours. The parties engaged in the disturbance were numbers of the New-Market Fire Company, and the “Rip Raps” and other political clubs. The affair commenced at the Twelfth Ward polls, about the middle of the day, when an effort was made by the Democrats to take possession. After they had been repulsed, the aggressors retreated to the engine house, and armed themselves with muskets and revolvers; they then took their position in the market-house and began a heavy discharge of musketry directed towards the polls. The firing attracted a large crowd, among whom were the “Rip Raps,” from the Fourteenth Ward polls. When these persons had congregated, a fierce attack was made upon them, which continued for a long time without intermission.
Several persons were killed, and a large number injured. Among those killed was an Irishman, whose name could not be ascertained, who was shot in the left breast, on the corner of Paca and Lexington Streets, whilst stooping to pick up a brick. The ball entered the left breast and passed downwards. A man by the name of Charles Brown was also killed whilst peaceably walking along the street. He resided in Chase Street and leaves a wife and three children.…
The combatants fought with the greatest determination and from the free and desperate use they made of the fire-arms with which they were provided, it is somewhat remarkable that a larger number were not killed. The New Market party held possession of the market and would rally from their engine-house after loading their pieces. Their opponents rallied in Green Street, south of the market. Both parties, thus prepared, would then carry on a guerilla warfare, firing at one another from the corners of the streets and from behind the pillars of the market, until their loads were exhausted, when they would retreat to their rallying points to prepare for another sally. All this was done with cool deliberation, and on the part of some of the combatants with an audacious courage which exhibited in a better cause would have merited praise. The stores and dwellings in the vicinity were all closed, and peaceably disposed people kept out of reach of danger; so that, as far as we can learn, with one exception, none but those who were parties to the conflict were either killed or wounded.
A desperate riot also occurred in the vicinity of the Eighth Ward. The foreign voters of the Ward took possession of the polls early in the day, and drove off several old residents who were holding Swann tickets. We saw a hundred of them chasing, with clubs and bricks, a man with slight make and small stature, who escaped into a grocery store on the corner of Forrest and Hillen Streets. His offense consisted in holding Swann tickets. Information of this condition of affairs having been received at the up-town Wards, a large party belonging to American clubs started over to that vicinity. One of them went along French Street and the other along Hillen Street; but they had scarcely reached the vicinity of the Eighth Ward polls, when they found themselves hemmed in by hundreds of infuriated opponents, a large number of whom were armed with muskets.
Both divisions of the “Rip Raps” were compelled to retreat before the superior arms of their assailants, and finally came to a stand on Calvert Street, near Monument, where a severe fight took place, which lasted for two hours, continuing up Monument Street to the vicinity of the Washington Monument, the tree-boxes along the square being greatly cut with bullets. The Irishmen then took a position behind the trees in the vacant space between Centre and Monument Streets, and a brisk firing was kept up for some time.…
The Democrats held complete possession of the Eighth Ward polls throughout the day, and used every exertion to prevent their opponents from voting. The result is seen in a decrease of the American vote and an immense increase in the Democratic, a large number being undoubtedly illegal. The vote is the largest by 300 ever polled in the ward, whilst at least two hundred Americans were prevented from voting.
In the Eighteenth Ward there was considerable disorder growing out of the immense number of voters in the ward and the limited time for voting. Each party struggled to make their way to the polls, but the Americans being in superior strength generally prevailed. The passage of the bill dividing the wards, defeated by the recurrent Democratic members of the City Council, would have prevented this difficulty.
The other wards were generally quiet.
The city was in an uproar until a late hour last night, but no collisions, as far as we could learn, occurred.